Misperceptions and Fake News during the Covid-19 Pandemic

Kerim Arin, Juan A. Lacomba, Francisco Lagos, Deni Mazrekaj and Marcel Thum

No 9066, CESifo Working Paper Series from CESifo

Abstract: By conducting large-scale surveys in four European countries, we investigate the determinants of right- and left-wing misperceptions as well as fake news exposure and sharing. We also shed light on how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced both misperceptions and fake news. Our results indicate that people substantially overestimate the share of immigrants, Muslims, people under the poverty line, and the income share of the richest. Female, lower-income, and lower-educated respondents have higher misperceptions, whereas the higher-educated, male, married, right-wing and, younger respondents share fake news more often, both intentionally and unintentionally. The COVID-19 pandemic increased fake news sharing and amplified right-wing misperceptions.

Keywords: Covid-19; lockdown; misperceptions; fake news (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D70 H11 H12 H41 I18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Working Paper: Misperceptions and Fake News During the COVID-19 Pandemic (2022)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ces:ceswps:_9066

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